D&D 5E Chris Perkins drops 2020 hint!

[Ruin Explorer]

I think expecting DL from what Perkins is saying is pretty silly. Dragonlance, bless its heart, is one of the weakest D&D settings in terms of appeal. It's an old-fashioned, generic-fantasy setting, based on a decent but not great series of fantasy novels, which are little-read today. The core of the setting is a trite mash-up of Tolkien, vague Christianity, and 1970s sorta-liberalism (like, they include black people, but marginalise them, and include Native American analogues, but go full noble savage and make them include white people). Also Kender who are like Halflings minus all the charm and with a giant dose of kleptomania!

At the edges of the setting there is some fantastic stuff. Irda, Taladas, and so on. The Solamnic Knights aren't terrible either, nor are some elements of the war of the lance. I have pretty much every DL game book and many of the novels up to 2000 and something I note, but if has to be near the bottom of the list for settings to revive.

 

[generic]

I think expecting DL from what Perkins is saying is pretty silly. Dragonlance, bless its heart, is one of the weakest D&D settings in terms of appeal. It's an old-fashioned, generic-fantasy setting, based on a decent but not great series of fantasy novels, which are little-read today. The core of the setting is a trite mash-up of Tolkien, vague Christianity, and 1970s sorta-liberalism (like, they include black people, but marginalise them, and include Native American analogues, but go full noble savage and make them include white people). Also Kender who are like Halflings minus all the charm and with a giant dose of kleptomania!

At the edges of the setting there is some fantastic stuff. Irda, Taladas, and so on. The Solamnic Knights aren't terrible either, nor are some elements of the war of the lance. I have pretty much every DL game book and many of the novels up to 2000 and something I note, but if has to be near the bottom of the list for settings to revive.

I disagree with parts of your initial premise, but I agree that Dragonlance is one of the old settings which is the least likely to be revived. Why?

Because it is yet another (as you wrote) generic fantasy setting, even the Forgotten Realms is less generic and Tolkien-like in its design, as its massive 'kitchen-sink' design style simply does not allow for the setting to be like other fantasy settings in that it is unique, but very much a mix of tropes that form an unlikely stew.

Because we already have the Forgotten Realms in 5e, and because Eberron is returning soon, I believe that we will see a more distinct setting next, such as Dark Sun or Planescape, or, heck, even Spelljammer.

 

[Parmandur]

This may well be true, no one has suggested otherwise. But if it is it would be a Setting Book, and therefore Chris Perkins wouldn't be writing it. I know it would be a setting book for a very simple reason: WotC are not stupid. No Dragonlance fan wants the old modules churned out without the setting rules, and WotC know that.

Also starting from the a priori assumption "Chris Perkins is not stupid" Chris Perkins would not assume that people who like CoS always like Dragonlance. Something I know for a fact to be false because I like CoS but don't particularly like Dragonlance. And have heard plenty of Dragonlance fans saying they don't like CoS.

The original modules just used the PHB rules for 1E. Both Hickman and Weis have been at the Renton office for consultation in the past year or two.

I mean, my guess is that he is hunting at a Mindflayer AP based out of Lantan, based on years of hints, but time will trll.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The original modules just used the PHB rules for 1E.

No they didn't, I own DL1, it has several setting specific rules. Kender replacing halflings, iron replacing gold as currency, clerics not being able to cast spells (apart from The Chosen One).

Both Hickman and Weis have been at the Renton office for consultation in the past year or two.

Interesting, and it does suggest a Dragonlance setting book (or possibly a movie or TV series) is in the pipeline (since Weis wouldn't be involved for anything else). Has nothing to do with Chris Perkins' post though.

I mean, my guess is that he is hunting at a Mindflayer AP based out of Lantan, based on years of hints, but time will trll.

You could certainly run with the horror elements associated with mind flayers, which could connect it to CoS.

 

[Remathilis]

Well, Strahd is an anagram of Darths, which means WotC has got the Star Wars licence back and working on Saga 2nd edition.

Perkins, you magnificent b*stard I READ YOUR BOOK!

 

[Ruin Explorer]

The original modules just used the PHB rules for 1E. Both Hickman and Weis have been at the Renton office for consultation in the past year or two.

I mean, my guess is that he is hunting at a Mindflayer AP based out of Lantan, based on years of hints, but time will trll.

At as in there for weeks or permanently, or just visiting? Long-term would strongly suggest a DL setting or similar but visiting doesn't mean much at all.

Mindflayer cash-in AP set in the FR does seem plausible given BG3 coming out likely late next year. But I doubt it'll actually compare to Cos, especially as Mindflayers and close relatives are not actually at all fun to play against in 5E, especially not for an entire campaign (even if they're in the background for much of it). New variants and so on could help but only so much, given Mindflayers are basically more annoying than terrifying and save-or-suck gets old fast.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The first movie of Transformers was with the point of view by humans who knew nothing about autobots vs decepticons. It was more like an update version of "War of the Worlds".

If there is a teleserie this will be not (only) for fans but as hook to get new followers. And I warn we could find retcon about some details.

Kenders aren't kleptomaniacs because they don't it for the morbid of a forbidden action but because they don't understand the concept of private property. If other kender get her things she will not complain. And when you try to be fun you can't tell always the same joke.

If the chronomancers from AD&D come back and the time spheres are canon, you can bet Dragonlance will be the setting with more parallel earth in DM Guild, and maybe this is good, because Krynn isn't so fun when you aren't a hero of the lance or another character from the novels (and the modules are too "railroad"), and the fan-fiction could help to give it more life.

---

- Good morning! what can I help you, sir?

- I am lord Soth, former Solamnia knight. After losing my honor and fall in disgrace I could get the redemption, be forgive by gods and now my soul is allowed to visit the celestian planes. I am looking for my wife and son.

- OK, let's to check the list, wait a moment, please..

...oh yeah, they are here, but I have to warn you all petitioners lose total memories about their past lives, and your family has fused with the celestian plane the last week. Now they are two precious cherry trees.

- WHAT!?...(after shouting some profanity..) I have to talk with Wizard of the Coast staff. I am afraid we are going to need some little retcons.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

No, The original concept for Dragonlance came from Tracy Hickman and Weis. Lauren did contribute to some module design later, but she was not a creator of the setting.

Weis didn't write the modules. She wrote the NOVELS. And the modules pretty slavishly follow the plot of the novels for the most part. That's where most of the problems with the modules originate - railroading, pre-generated player characters.

Dude you're just factually incorrect here. Tracy Hickman has said in interviews that the concept of Dragonlance was first created by himself and his wife as they drove from Utah to Wisconsin. Weis entered the development later as she was editing Endless Quests books for TSR.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Well I like his images, what is wrong with them? Is the disk space on the Enworld server getting low or do you surf using a RF connection?
@LuisCarlos17f please do not get intimidated by people not agreeing with your taste of art.

It's not the art I have a problem with, it's that he's posting sometimes 8 different images in one comment to illustrate a point. Just pick one, I don't need to scroll through this many pictures.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I think expecting DL from what Perkins is saying is pretty silly. Dragonlance, bless its heart, is one of the weakest D&D settings in terms of appeal. It's an old-fashioned, generic-fantasy setting, based on a decent but not great series of fantasy novels, which are little-read today. The core of the setting is a trite mash-up of Tolkien, vague Christianity, and 1970s sorta-liberalism (like, they include black people, but marginalise them, and include Native American analogues, but go full noble savage and make them include white people). Also Kender who are like Halflings minus all the charm and with a giant dose of kleptomania!

At the edges of the setting there is some fantastic stuff. Irda, Taladas, and so on. The Solamnic Knights aren't terrible either, nor are some elements of the war of the lance. I have pretty much every DL game book and many of the novels up to 2000 and something I note, but if has to be near the bottom of the list for settings to revive.

I'll say that Dragonlance, as the results of one of D&D's official surveys say, fell into 2nd-tier popularity with Greyhawk and Spelljammer. Greyhawk has gotten a book released with GoS, and people believe Spelljammer is on its way (those are just theories though), so the possibility of a Dragonlance book is not impossible, just not very likely.